Have
you ever wanted to keep a freshwater, planted aquarium? Not just an
aquarium with a few live plants, but a true aquatic garden. Doing so can
be a very rewarding aquarium experience. An aquatic garden is the
freshwater equivalent to keeping a saltwater reef aquarium.

Aquatic plants require
three main factors to not just survive, but to thrive. These three
factors are light, nutrients-fertilizers, and CO2. Light and nutrients
are typically the easiest of the three to provide. However, in order to
allow for lush, rich plant growth, providing adequate CO2 is the key. In
order to do so, some sort of CO2 injection system is required.

Now, at The Aquatic
Critter are the new Dupla pH controlled CO2 injection systems.
Typically, injecting CO2 into an aquarium can cause dramatic, downward
pH shifts. Well, the new Dupla system negates that worry. The injection
process is controlled by a pH monitor, which you preset for the desired
pH of the aquarium. As plants photosynthesize, they absorb the CO2,
causing the pH to shift upwards. As this happens, and the preset pH is
exceeded, the pH monitor turns on the Dupla system, delivering CO2 into
the aquarium until the pH drops back to the preset, desired level. These
changes in pH are minimal, however, only by a few tenths or hundredths
of a point. A system such as this, is a revolutionary method of using a
CO2 injection system to both provide adequate levels to the plants,
while not creating the dramatic shifts in pH which can occur.

Of course, why just buy
them to stock, when you can also buy one for display. We at The Aquatic
Critter invite you to take a look at our new aquatic garden display
aquarium. This aquarium features a 54 gallon bow front corner aquarium,
giving a unique look into the aquarium. As a substrate medium we use
Floramax gravel, an iron rich, deep red brown clay gravel. Beneath this
substrate are heating cables by AZoo to both heat the water and
help keep the plants from getting “cold feet.” By heating the water
from the bottom of the aquarium, this creates a continuous upward and
downward water current. The heated water from the cables moves up
through the gravel and the water column in the aquarium, forcing the
cooler water back down to where it is reheated. This prevents the gravel
layer from becoming an anaerobic zone, and fresh water is continually
brought to the plant’s roots.

Also on this aquarium are
the JBJ power compact lights, which we now keep in stock, and Eheim’s
new Professional II style canister filter. In addition to the Duple CO2
system, we also stock the CarboPlus system, which introduces CO2
into the water through electrolysis. So come in and take a look, and
consider designing your very own aquatic garden.•••